Bicyclist in Critical Condition after Car-Dooring Accident

A car-dooring accident on Friday in Santa Monica left a bicyclist in critical condition. The accident happened at about 5:30 p.m. on 11th St. near Oak St. in the Sunset Park section of Santa Monica.

A man was riding his mountain bike southbound on 11sth St. when he collided with an open car door. The cyclist flew over the car door and landed head first on the pavement.

The bicyclist suffered a major head injury, according to Sergeant Richard Lewis of the Santa Monica Police Department. He was not wearing a helmet. A nurse who lived nearby began CPR until paramedics arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital.

The bicycle rider's name has not been released. According to police, he is in his 40's.

Police believe that the bicycle rider may have been under the influence of alcohol. Witnesses saw him swerve in and out of traffic lanes before the accident.

According to Sgt. Lewis, the car door had been open for "several seconds" before the bicyclist crashed into it. The car's driver was gathering her things before getting out of her car.

At the Santa Monica personal injury firm of McGee, Lerer & Associates, we have recently seen a surge in the incidence of car-dooring accidents in Santa Monica. A car-dooring accident involves a collision between a bicycle rider and an open or opening car door. In the vast majority of cases, car-dooring accidents are the fault of an
inattentive motorist, who fails to look back before opening a car door.

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